Cordisco and Checco will square off to fill the two years remaining on the term of Greg Beck, who resigned in 2014. Eight other candidates will square off for the other four seats, all of them for four-year terms.

Although Checco will remain unaffiliated with any party, Democrats promptly gave him their endorsement.

“Paul has been a Republican since he has lived in Brookfield,” said Democratic Town Committee Chairman Ray DiStephan. “As you may know, the RTC did not support his re-election candidacy. Clearly, this was due to Paul's open disagreement with the RTC establishment on the school budget and many other issues. Their loss and shortsightedness is our gain.”

Checco said the education budgets supported by Republicans were “far below what the Board of Education had requested,” adding that not enough consideration was given to those requests.

He explained that leaving the Republican party will have other consequences, including losing the right to vote in party primaries, but said being unaffiliated allowed him to serve without partisan bias.

“It’s very difficult to remove myself from a national party affiliation because I don’t agree with the leadership of the local party,” said Checco. “There may not be a parallel between national ideals and local ideals. National issues are much different. I truly don’t believe, especially on the Board of Education, that party politics should come into play.

“If you read the code of ethics for Board of Education, it says to act in a way where you’re acting on your own accord and not with a partisan bias,” he said.

Selectman Martin Flynn, who chaired the Republican Vacancy Sub-Committee, said Checco’s views and the fact that he was in power during the school district’s overspending controversy worked against him during the endorsement process.

Former schools finance chief Art Colley resigned last year after it was learned that the district overspent its budget by $1.2 million in the previous two years. Former Superintendent Anthony Bivona was fired a few months later, board members having blamed him for a lack of oversight of Colley.

“Many of the members, not just on the vacancy committee, but Republicans in general, didn’t agree with things he wanted to do on the school board,” said Flynn. “He wanted to push for (teaching of) Mandarin. People disagreed with that. People were also weary of the overspending of the $1.2 million and felt he was slow to act on Tony Bivona and Art Colley.”

But Checco said one reason he is seeking re-election is to return the school district’s focus to the students after the spending scandal.

“We’ve been distracted from our true role and that distraction has come at cost to students,” said Checco. “I would like to refocus the board’s role on education of the students. That’s where it belongs. We weren’t at fault. This is a distraction that took place over the course of many years, that came to a head during our tenure.”

Republican Town Committee Vice-Chairman George Walker said Checco wouldn’t commit to supporting other Republican candidates, which also played a role in the decision not to support him. Walker added that Checco could have petitioned to force a primary, but chose not.

“If he’s not going to be supporting us, how can he ask us to work hard to get him elected and support him?” Asked Walker.

“I think current DTC slate is comprised of Republicans, unaffiliated and lifelong Democrats,” he said. “It’s more diverse, and it’s a slate that’s more representative of a cross section of Brookfield.”